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It took more that a year but on March 26, 2014 both Illinois Houses voted unanoumously to pass Senate Bill O3 proclaiming March 30th as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." The Governor still needs to sign the bill. Two of the Representatives that co-authored the bill are Legion members and belong to Aurora Post 84. It's been a long time coming but it's finally here.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to1975, and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflictwith the United States Armed Forces and South Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, The United States became involved by serving in anadvisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combatunits arrived in Vietnam and by the end of that year there were80,000 United States troops in Vietnam with a peak ofapproximately 500,000 troops in 1969; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris wassigned, which required the release of all United Statesprisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal ofall United States Armed Forces from South Vietnam; by March 30,1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawalof combat troops from Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, More than 58,000 members of the United StatesArmed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000members of the Armed Forces were wounded; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wasdedicated in Washington, D.C. to commemorate those members ofthe United States Armed Forces who died or were declaredmissing-in-action in Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Members of the United States Armed Forces whoserved bravely and faithfully for the United States during theVietnam War were caught upon their return home in the crossfireof public debate about the involvement of the United States inthe Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, March 30th marks the anniversary of the day thatcombat and combat support units withdrew completely from SouthVietnam; and

WHEREAS, The Ranking Member of the United States SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs introduced Senate Resolution 55before the 112th Congress, which was agreed to on March 7,2011, to honor veterans who served in Vietnam by designatingMarch 30th as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day"; and

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assemblysupport the United States Senate in the establishment of a"Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" as an appropriate way tohonor those members of the United States Armed Forces whoserved in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly agreethat March 30 would be an appropriate day to establish "WelcomeHome Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State of Illinois; therefore,be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERALASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim March 30, 2013 and March30, 2014 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State ofIllinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all citizens of the State of Illinois areencouraged to honor our Vietnam Veterans.